Teenage Troubles
by NCISfan1509
Summary: 13 year old Erin Lindsey is really starting to love her new life with Hank Voight. Never has she felt so safe. But when she gets into trouble will Hank keep her or send her away? There will be parental discipline spanking.
1. Chapter 1

Erin

I am sitting on my bed waiting for Hank Voight to come in here and kick my ass. I am in more trouble than I have been in the year I have been living here. I am not going to lie, I have made some pretty stupid mistakes but this sure takes the cake. Hank is going to kill me. I have been grounded, had my phone, computer, and iPod taken away, and had to do extra chores around the house over the past few months. Hank warned me that if I got in trouble at school again that I would be sorry. The problem is, I have no idea what that means. I mean, what other punishments are there? Is he going to make me leave? Is he going to kick me out? I hope not.

This is the first time in my life that I am finally starting to feel safe. I have food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. I don't know what I will do if Hank sends me away. I guess I should have thought of that before I let things get out of control at school today. I have been dealing with Brooke Tanner and her stuck up 8th grade cheerleading squad since the moment I set foot in that fancy private school. Its as though she knew that I didn't belong there. Every day she makes my life a living hell and I tolerate it…until I can't. I ignored her taunting and teasing for most of the day. I didn't even flinch when she smacked my books out of my hand and they fell on the floor and got wet. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when she pointed out to the entire lunch room that I was wearing a goodwill special because I didn't have some fancy designer label on my ripped jeans. But when we were walking to final period and she shoved me into the corner of a locker and I busted my forehead open, I'd had it. I turned around and decked her right in the jaw. Of course, Principle Shepard had to be walking out of her office right as I landed my right hook. She didn't even listen to the fact that Brooke started it. I don't know if Hank would even believe me if I tried to tell him the truth, so why bother? I'm sure he just thinks I am a trouble maker and nothing is going to change that.

I hear Hank's boots on the stairs and I wipe a stray tear away and slip a scowl back onto my face. If he is going to be rid of me I guess it's better to feel anger than any other emotion. I grunt when he knocks on the door and pushes it open. I can feel his glare boring into me. I try to ignore him but the silence is too uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" I ask him, harsher than I intend to. I see the hurt flash across his face and I feel bad. I don't mean to sound so mean but if he is going to send me away anyway at least this way it will hurt less.

"Excuse me?" He says, his tone making my own wither in comparison. "Care to try that again?"

"Just say it already!" I shout, throwing my hands up. I can't take it any longer. All of the months of waiting, the uncertainty. I have been giving him plenty of opportunities to get rid of me and he hasn't. I can't go another day feeling like this.

"What exactly am I supposed to say, Erin?" Hank says, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. He waits patiently for me to come up with an answer. I glare at him, sure that he is messing with me, but his look is genuine. He honestly doesn't know what I am thinking and that angers me even more. How can he not know?

"That you are finished with me!" I yell, "That I am too much trouble! That I am always going to be a screw up and that I am not worth anything. I will never be good enough. You can just cut the act already, Hank. I don't know why you felt you had to take me in but your charity act has been seen so you can throw me out now!" I pour out the anger in every word, the years of being told how worthless I was are filling my mind with memories and the emotions are overwhelming.

Hank slowly walks over and sits down beside me on the bed. He surprises me when he pulls me into a hug. I am small for my age and I am enveloped in his arms. I don't want to admit it but I love Hank's hugs. They are few and far between but for that moment I feel so safe with his arms wrapped tight around me. I burst into tears and I relax as he holds me tighter. Growing up I longed for a mommy and daddy to tuck me in at night with a hug and a kiss and read me bedtime stories. I am too old for all of that now, but it sure is nice to feel like Hank cares about me.

"I don't want to leave." I cry, "I don't want to be back on the streets. I can't go back. Please don't send me away." I feel like a blubbering mess begging through my sobs, but I cant make the tears stop. The past eight months have been an emotional roller coaster and I cant keep it bottled up any longer.

"Hey, hey…Kid, look at me." He says, waiting for my eyes to meet his gaze. "You need to understand something right now. When I took you into my house, I didn't expect you to be a perfect angel. Hell, Erin, I know better than anyone how much of a mess you were. I helped you get clean remember? I am here for you. I am going to be the parent that you never had growing up. I am going to help you learn how to be a responsible productive adult. But I am not going to give up on you. Not now, not ever. You are worth every grey hair, kid." He grins at me after this comment. "I hope that all of this acting out lately isn't simply to see how far you can push me. Because you know damn well, that I am a man of my word. I am not going to give up on you. I will be here to reign you in every time you screw up. All you have to do is follow the rules, Erin. If you can do that your life will be a hell of a lot more fun. I see something special in you, kid. You figure this out and you will be fine. You know my rules. Do not lie, do not steal, do not cheat, and stay safe. Fighting in school is completely unnecessary. You are better than that, Erin."

I am blown away at Hank's words. Does he really mean it? Does he really care about me? Will he really be there for me? And how does he know that I am better than fighting? No one has ever said something like this to me before. What if he's wrong? I look up at him and wipe my cheeks.

"What if you're wrong?" I say softly, afraid to hear the bitter truth I know is coming. "What if I am not better than this? What if I cant be a better person?" I ask him. I hold my breath and wait.

"Because no daughter of mine is going to end up down the path you were headed. You are going to grow up to be a beautiful, hardworking, smart woman someday, Erin. I am going to be here for you every step of the way. And I am going to start by holding you accountable for your choices today."

"How long am I grounded for now?" I sigh. I am already grounded for the next few weeks, I don't know how long he is going to extend it. Hank doesn't say anything for a few moments, and then he raises an eyebrow and asks me the one question no one has.

"Can you tell me what really happened today?" He asks. He catches me off guard and I am blown away by my emotional response to that question. Hank actually cares. If he didn't, he wouldn't care what I had to say about the events that unfolded today. I must have given him a weird look because he adds, "What is that look for? I know you already explained it all to the principle but I would like to hear it from you."

"She didn't let me explain." I say, shrugging my shoulders. "She didn't care what actually happened. All she saw was the end result of me hitting Brooke." I can't tell what the look means that flashes across his face but he simply raises an eyebrow and looks at me, waiting for me to continue.

"I'm listening." He says, "Tell me what happened."

"Brooke tortures me every day. She is a stuck up bitch. And not just in the eighth grade either, she rules all of the grades at our school. Even the high schoolers are afraid of her. I usually do pretty good at ignoring her but she was really mean today and I just couldn't take it anymore. She knocked my books into a puddle on the floor, she said horrible things in front of the entire cafeteria about me, she tore up my English paper when I was going to hand it in, and this afternoon she shoved me into the corner of my locker and I decked her. Thats when Principle Shepard walked into the hallway and all she saw was me hitting her. I tried to explain that I just snapped from all of Brooke's bullying but she just didn't care. She didn't even care that I had blood dripping down my face from where I cut it on my locker. It's like because of my past Principle Shepard doesn't even want to give me a chance. She makes me feel like I am not worth her time because I have made mistakes. Hank, I really have been trying. I am taking notes in class and doing my assignments. Half the time Brooke and her posse rip up my papers before I can hand them in. I want to do better. I want to do good in school. I don't want to end up back on the streets again."

"You won't, kid." Hank says, wrapping an arm around me. "You won't. I will make sure of it. Now, we just have to make a plan of action."

"Am I in trouble?" I ask, curling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I wait for the inevitable sentence of a few more weeks added to my already torturous grounded state.

"Erin, honestly, I think you need a clean slate. I think that we have cleared up a lot of confusion today and you should get to start fresh. Now you know that I am not going to leave you. I love you, kid, and I want you to do well in life. I am guessing that a lot of this acting out has been because you were scared, yes?" When I nod he continues. "So, as of right now you are officially ungrounded. You will keep your cell phone on you at all times. You will not delete anything from your phone or computer and that includes texts, pictures, and emails, understand? I will check your phone periodically to make sure you are following the rules for your electronics. You will be home by 8 on school nights and 10 on weekends. I always have to know where you are. Can you handle that?"

"Yes, Hank." I say, throwing my arms around him in a hug. "Hank, what am I going to do about Brooke? How can I get her to leave me alone?"

"You let me handle that, kid. Just keep doing your best to ignore her."


	2. Chapter 2

Hank

I walk into the station in the morning and tell Platt to have Burgess meet me in my office. I mentally try to formulate how I am going to play this out. I grab an empty file off my desk and slide a stack of blank papers in it. I am putting my coat on as Burgess knocks on the door.

"Come in." I say, "I need you to come with me." She gives me a surprised look but doesn't argue. I don't think anyone besides Platt and Erin have the guts to argue with me.

We are halfway to Erin's school when Burgess finally speaks up. "Umm…Sergeant Voight, where are we going?"

"I don't need you to do anything other than stand there, cross your arms, and look like you have better things to do." I say. "Got it?

"So basically I am coming with you for intimidation." She clarifies and I bite back a smile. For as sweet and innocent as she appears, her attitude can rival Erin's at times.

I walk into the office of the school with Burgess on my heels. I stride right through the office, past the secretary who is jumping out of her chair to stop me and go right through the door into Principle Shepard's office.

"I believe we need to talk." I say, sitting down in the chair across from her desk. I am pleased to see Burgess standing right inside the door, arms crossed, with a glare on her face directed at the red haired woman behind the desk. I couldn't have planned it better if I would have told her what I wanted.

"Mr. Voight, you could have made an appointment." Principal Shepard says, glaring at me and eyeing the uniform standing behind me.

"Ah, yes, but I thought I would save both of us the trouble of finding time in our busy schedules. I think you have a bullying situation on your hands." I say. "And if I'm not mistaken there are policies put in place by the board of trustees of this private school to protect students from bullying."

"Isn't bullying a bit harsh?" She stammers, obviously trying to feel out how serious I am. I can see the vein pulsing in her neck and it makes me wonder how connected Brooke's parents are.

"Harsh? I have here a list of the incidents that can be considered assault and harassment towards my daughter." I say in my most serious interrogation voice and hold up the file folder I brought in, "If it doesn't stop I promise you we will be pressing charges. You had better handle the situation on your end before I have to handle it on mine. And I promise you, as one of Chicago's finest, that I will handle it. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Mr. Voight." She says, with a sigh. And I wonder if she was a spoiled brat as a teenager too.

"That's Sergeant Voight." I say, standing up and walking out of the office without even glancing to see if Burgess is following me. I wait until I get in the car before I let a hint of a grin grace my face. Hopefully that will give Erin a little bit of breathing room. I am not naive enough to believe that this will make it stop completely but it should help some.

Erin is waiting for me when I walk in the door that evening. She eyes me warily and perches herself on the arm of the couch.

"Hank, what did you do?" She says, groaning and running her hands through her hair. "Everyone at school was talking about your little showdown with the principle. It was sorta cool after I got over the embarrassment."

"Oh, really? What were kids saying?" I ask, curious how they connected me to her. She has been at the school less than a year and isn't exactly the sports and extracurricular kind of kid.

"That my dad, who must be from the mafia or something, brought the cops to tell off Principle Shepard. That you stormed into her office and pissed off the whole front office. And to top it all off we had an assembly this afternoon warning us that any bullying would result in immediate suspension."

"Sounds like she took me seriously." I say, trying to keep a straight face. "Did Brooke mess with you today?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"We both got called into talk with Principle Shepard and she warned both of us to knock off the drama and either play nice or ignore each other. She said she didn't care which but we were not to cause any problems or we would both be expelled."

"Well, than I guess you should behave, kid." I say, walking into the kitchen and leaving her on the couch. The patronizing look she gives me when I pat her shoulder makes me bite back a small smile.

Thirty minutes later I am setting on dinner on the table and calling for Erin. I am about to go upstairs and look for her when she slides into a chair. I have really begun to look forward to dinner time. For that thirty minutes, nothing else matters but hearing about Erin's day. I don't understand how her mother couldn't see what a great kid she is. She is smart and going to do great things someday. She is stubborn and hard headed and no matter what she puts her mind to, I know she will do fine. It took me months to get Erin to open up and it seems like dinner time is when she feels most comfortable. There have been so many nights that I have come home, had dinner with Erin, made sure she was started on her homework, and then had to go back into the office. This single dad thing is a little more challenging than I thought, but I can't believe that Erin thought that I would just send her packing. I will have to make sure she feels like I am here and that I care about what is going on in her life. It's nice to have a reason to come home at night.

There are days when I wonder what Erin would have thought of Camille. I know that she would have loved Erin. She would have been an amazing mom for Erin. When Camille and Justin died, I thought that I was finished being a father. I could have never imagined that a scrawny street kid could be hiding this wonderful little girl. There are days when Erin seems so much more mature than thirteen because of all of her street wisdom she learned out of necessity to survive. Other days, like when I took her to the fair a few months ago, she seems so much younger. The way her eyes light up in wonder when she experiences something good for the first time. It makes me so angry that she never got a normal childhood. I am trying to change that. I am going to make her realize that she does have at least one person that cares.

Erin

I have really enjoyed the past few weeks since Hank released me from being grounded. I have managed to avoid all trouble with Brooke and I met this cool girl named Abby. We have been hanging out a lot and are really starting to become good friends. I invited her over for a sleepover tonight and I am really looking forward to it. I text Hank when school lets out and I start walking home. Abby's dad drops her off right as Hank is pulling in the driveway. I smile when I see Hank carrying two boxes of pizza up the driveway. Abby and I race outside to help him and I roll my eyes as the two dads strike up a conversation. After dinner, Hank says he has to go back to the office for a few hours. Something about a huge case they are trying to wrap up. I shrug and say okay. It's not so bad with Abby here.

"Remember the rules, Erin." Hank says sternly as he puts on his coat and heads out the back door.

"Yes, Hank." I say, rolling my eyes and turning back to the conversation with Abby. I know the rules and I know that I have no desire to be grounded again.

"Hey, lets go over to Tony's house!" Abby squeals, after she wins another game of monopoly. "He lives a few streets over. We could go over there and be back before your dad." Tony is Abby's best friend and the captain of the basketball team.

"I don't know." I say, biting my lip. "I'm not supposed to go anywhere unless Hank knows where I am. Plus my curfew is in twenty minutes." I really want to seem cool but I don't want to get in trouble.

"Come on, Erin! It will be fun. We wont be gone long. Hank will never know." Abby begs and it takes only a few moments for her to win me over. I know I am going to regret this. While Abby is putting her boots on, I pull my cell phone out of my pocket. I hover over Hank's number and try to decide if I really am going to go through with this. Abby's voice calls to me and I sigh, slipping the phone back in my pocket. We arrive at Tony's house only to find that he has about fifteen friends over and what can only be classified as a party is in full swing.

I know that this is a really bad idea. "Abby, lets just go home. Please." I whisper, pulling on her hand. I know that Hank will be very very pissed if he finds me at a party. When he took me in he specifically said no drinking, partying, or drugs. He is going to ground me forever! I seriously consider leaving Abby here and just going home by myself but realize that would make me a pretty sucky friend so I reluctantly follow her inside.

An hour later I pull out my cell phone to see about twenty missed calls from Hank, another dozen from the precinct, and a good few dozen from the home phone. Shit! I am in big trouble.

I find Abby and pull her outside. She must realize that I am very serious about leaving because she takes one look at my face and stops arguing with me.

I am about ten feet from the front yard when Hank's voice stops me in my tracks. "Erin Lindsay. You better get your ass in this house right now."

I start walking faster when another, equally as angry voice shouts, "Abigail you had better get your ass in this car this minute!"

A million thoughts swarm my mind. Crap! We are in trouble. I knew this was a bad idea. I should have said no. I shouldn't have gone. I am not even all the way up onto the porch before Hank wraps his fingers around my upper arm. I twist to try to face him and try to explain.

"Hank, listen, please. I know that I broke the rules, but listen, I didn't want to go. I know that you are upset…" I don't get anything else out before Hank reaches out with his free hand and smacks me hard on the bottom. I gasp from the sting and shock of the swat. I have never been swatted in my life! "What in the hell?" I ask, still shocked that he actually hit me.

"Erin." Hank says quietly, and I can tell that he is exasperated. "Go to your room. No, wait, go shower and wash your hair, and then get ready for bed. I will be up in a while to talk to you."

I race up the steps and into the safety of the bathroom. Sliding down to sit against the door I try to sort through my thoughts and emotions. Hank actually hit me. Well, no not exactly. I am so confused! When any of my mother's boyfriends would beat up on me they would hit me in the face and in the ribs and I would have bruises and pain for weeks…but this was different. It didn't even really hurt. It stung for a second and It sure as hell got my attention but it wasn't like he full out hit me. I guess you couldn't even call it hitting, but then what was it? Did he smack me? No, bunny used to smack me across the face when she would get so wasted and not recognize me. A spanking? Like people spank a little kid? I am not sure what to think. I try not to think about it as I wash my hair and climb out of the shower. Heading to my room I wonder what would have happened if I was living with Bunny and not here with Hank. If I had snuck out to go to a party and Bunny would have caught me coming home she probably would have demanded that I give her some of the alcohol from the party. I shake my head, that woman never cared about me. All she cared about was drinking and getting high. I know that Hank is mad but I am pretty sure that he is mad because he is worried about me. This is a new feeling for sure. How do you accept that kind of caring and love? By not breaking his rules probably. I think, as I run my brush through my hair. I set the brush down on the dresser as Hank knocks on my bedroom door.

"Come in." I say softly. I don't know how I am supposed to feel right now, but I do know that I have broken enough rules tonight and I don't want to add being disrespectful to the list.

"We need to talk, kid." He says, sitting down on the foot of my bed. I curl my knees up to my chest and lean against the headboard. "What in the hell happened tonight?"

"We were bored and Abby suggested going over to her friend Tony's and I tried to talk her out of it but finally, I gave in." I say, biting my lip. "I even pulled out my phone to call you but I didn't want Abby to not like me. She is the first real friend I have had here. We got to his house and I realized that it was a full blown party and I refused to go in. After arguing for ten minutes, Abby called me a baby and I finally let her drag me inside. I didn't drink anything, I promise! I didn't even touch the water bottles because I knew someone could have put alcohol in them. I checked my phone after a while and saw all the missed calls and dragged Abby right out of there to come home. And here we are."

"You know that little voice inside your head telling you to come home and that you were going to get in trouble? That's called your conscience. You should listen to it sometimes. It would have kept you out of trouble. I am very disappointed in you, Erin. I expect you to be able to follow the rules of this house."

"Are you going to send me away?" I whisper. Terrified that he is going to go back on his promise to keep me. I know that I screwed up too bad tonight. I will always be a failure.

"Hell no." He says, a flash of anger clouding his face.

"You're not?" I say, a small glimmer of hope bubbling up inside me. "Really?"

"Yes, you are stuck with me. I'm not a perfect dad either, kid. But I am going to try my best. And I am going to be here for you. For every great accomplishment I can cheer you on, and every screw up I will help you learn from. I will be here for you." Hanks words rock me to my core. I have never felt so loved and so cared for and so completely screwed at the same time in my whole life.

"Hank, I am sorry I left the house." I say.

"I know, kid, me too. I am sorry that you broke my rules. I am really disappointed in your choices tonight. You know better." Hanks voice sounds so…so…hurt. I have never heard anyone talk to me this way. Hank makes me want to do better. Bunny used to tell me what a disappointment I was all the time, but Hank means it different. I don't know how I know this, I just do.

"How long am I grounded for this time?" I ask, sighing and crossing my arms. Hank runs a hand through his hair. He thinks for a few minutes and then pats the space next to him.

"Come here, Erin. You know that I love you and that I only want whats best for you. I have to help you understand that you have to think about the consequences of your actions before you do something stupid. That's my job as a parent, kid. That's why kids have parents, to take care of them and help them learn to make good choices. Grounding doesn't seem to work with you. You lied to me, you broke the house rules, and you scared me half to death worrying about where you could be."

"Wait, so you are not going to ground me?" I ask, confused. Every day I am reminded that this isn't what life was like with Bunny. There were no consequences for my behavior unless you counted being smacked around for not having drugs for her when she wanted them. Never once did she ever care about me or what I did. No matter how mad Hank is, I know that he cares about me and the choices I make.

"Nope, I am going to spank you. You will think long and hard before you sneak out of this house ever again." Hank says, and before I can argue or wrap my brain around this he pulls me across his lap. I find myself face down looking at my beige carpet and the next thing I know a stinging swat lands on my upturned bottom. My pajama pants are thin and offer little protection from Hank's hard hand.

"Hank!" I cry out, confused and not sure what this punishment entails but no matter how scared I am, I know deep down that he won't actually hurt me.

"Erin, you are going to learn to make better choices. You will learn that disobeying me is not an option. These rules are for your safety. I would be devastated if anything happened to you. I care about you too much to let anything happen to you, kid. The next time you want to break one of my rules, I want you to remember this spanking. Hopefully, then you will make a better decision next time." Hank's words cause my heart more pain than anything his hand could inflict on my bottom. I have been beaten, kicked around, starved, and many other horrible things by my mother but never once did she ever tell me that she cared about me or that she wanted me to be a good person. Never did bunny ever care about me being safe. The stinging in my backside is annoying but it sure doesn't hurt. Hank's words on the other hand cause me to burst into tears. The guilt I feel at disappointing him is overwhelming.

"Hank, I'm sorry." I cry out, letting go of all of the conflicting emotions and begin sobbing across his lap. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Hank stops spanking me and pulls me up into his arms.

"Shh, kid, its okay. I got you. I'm here. You are not going anywhere." He soothes, as he rubs circles on my back. "It's all over. It's done now."

Hank

I hear Erin dissolve into sobs and I immediately pull her up onto my lap. She isn't a big tough teenager at the moment. She is curled up on my lap and has her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Shh, kid, its okay. I got you. I'm here. You are not going anywhere." I soothe, as I rubs circles on her back. "It's all over. It's done now. You're safe."

I hold her until her sobs turn to hiccups and then those turn to quiet deep breaths. For a moment I am transported back in time before the death of my wife and son to a similar moment I shared with an eight year old Justin after I had to punish him. I remember how ornery he could be but then sitting on my lap, curled up in my arms he was my sweet little boy. She is giving me a second chance at being a dad and this isn't any easier than it was the first time around. I look down and realize that Erin has fallen fast asleep in my arms. Her face is relaxed and I am reminded how much this child has gone through. How could anyone not love this sweet little girl? Once you can break past her attitude and tough show which honestly is just a way for her to mask her hurt and anger, she is a really great kid.

I tuck her into bed and then go sit out on the porch. Opening the can in my hand, I dial Olinsky's number.

"She all right?" He asks, concern evident in his voice.

"Yea, she just let a friend talk her into going to a party." I say, taking a swig of my beer. "I don't know how she made that choice? She knows better than that."

"Well, did she come home drunk?" He asks and I realize just how proud of her I am for at least making one good choice tonight.

"No, she didn't even drink at all." I say, "I didn't think of it that way."

"How long did you ground her for this time?" He asks, and I swallow hard and try to decide how much to share.

"I didn't ground her." I say with a sigh, once again wondering if i did the right thing.

"Ah, I see. Yea, I had one of those moments with Lexi about that age too. Sometimes they need that to know how much you really care." He responds and I am thankful that Alvin and I understand each other.

"See you tomorrow, Voight. 'Night." He says, and I hang up the phone. I hope that Erin will handle this okay. I didn't even spank her that hard. It was more to get her attention and I think it worked. I have hugged her before but never have I held her and consoled her like that. I hope that she knows I care about her.

The next morning I am standing in her doorway, sipping on a cup of strong black coffee. "Come on, kid. It's time to get up." I say, watching her pull herself from a deep sleep. I see her give me a look of uncertainty and I soften my look and smile at her. "Breakfast is getting cold, come on, up and at 'em." She grins and follows me down the hall and down the stairs.

We are sitting at the table eating the eggs and bacon I made before waking her up. "Hank, it's Saturday, why do I have to get up so early?"

"Because you and I are spending the day together. I have a surprise for you." I say, standing up and rinsing my plate off in the sink. "Go get ready. We are leaving in ten minutes."

We pull into the driveway of the ranch and I can tell that Erin is intrigued. A friend of mine owns this horse ranch and I called in a favor to take Erin on a trail ride today. I figured it would allow us time to talk. Erin doesn't know it but I have had this trip planned for weeks now.

George gets us saddled up with horses and I can tell that Erin is excited. "Have you ever been on a horse?" I ask, already knowing the answer but needing her to say it anyway.

"Nope, but I have always wanted to!" She says as she tries to climb up onto the horse that is taller than I am. I chuckle and walk over to her and allow her to step in my hand so I can help her up. After climbing up onto my own horse we head off in the direction George indicates and set off on our ride. The first half mile or so we are both quiet, just taking in the beautiful nature around us.

"Hank, I'm glad that you took me in. No one ever cared about me before. I just want you to know that I appreciate it, ya know?"

"Thanks, kid. I like having you around. You aren't planning on going to any more parties, right?"

"No, Sir!" She says emphatically, "That was so not worth it. I think I want to try to follow the rules and see how that works out for me." She says and I laugh. For such a young kid, she can be such a smart ass sometimes.

We spend a few hours riding and talking about all sorts of things. We talk about her life before coming to live with me and I tell her a little about Camille. We find a river and eat a picnic lunch sitting on the river bank. I don't want anyone to know but slowly this little girl is melting my heart. I share so much with her while we are out on the trail ride and I am perfectly okay with it. I want to give Erin the closest thing to a real family that I can. She deserves it.


End file.
